Category: Solar Returns

Saturn in the Fourth House brings family responsibilities and reminds us of the passage of time…

So, today I was mooching around, my partner had gone away on a business trip and I was generally feeling at a loose end. Prompted by a need to create a little order in the house I decided to tidy the sitting room. As I was dusting the cabinet, I suddenly felt sad. Last year I lost my father and the order of service from his funeral was still there, next to the lamp and one of my favourite pottery bowls.

Today was cold, but not as bad as last year when I travelled many miles north to take my father to various hospital appointments, mostly having to venture out in bitterly cold winds and heavy snow. And despite the January weather, in comparison to last year, this winter seems mild – not just meteorologically but emotionally too.

Last year I had Saturn in the Fourth House of my Solar Return Chart. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Solar Returns, I’m not going to go into depth here – suffice to say it’s a great tool for Predictive Astrology and yes, being aware I had it coming I was apprehensive to say the least. However, what did that Solar Return actually mean and how did it work out?

Well, to give you an insight into my feelings, I want to share with you an extract from the book I’m currently writing on this subject. I have a way to go and it’s very much a labour of love, but with most things astrological, it’s often useful to look back and learn from what we have experienced, so here is what I had to say about the Solar Return Fourth House:

“The Solar Return Fourth House is where you feel at home and in any solar return year, a tenanted fourth house brings all issues to do with home, family, belonging and your sense of stability to the fore.

In my experience over the years, The Solar Return Fourth House is very directly to do with all matters relating to the home and family as they are in the ‘here and now’. This contrasts with Natal Chart interpretations which place your origins and familial heritage in the fourth house. In other words, your Natal Fourth House is descriptive of the things that have informed the person you are today.

The Solar Return Fourth House is, however, descriptive of the issues you are dealing with in, what is for many people, one of the most important areas of their lives. So, it’s here you will find your parents (some astrologers place your parents in the 4th and 10th houses, I find the 4th is more representative of them both).

You will both leave home and find new homes in the Solar Return Fourth House as this covers all things relating to your living and domestic situation. So, matters such as relocation, house repairs, remodelling and redecoration are found in the Solar Return Fourth House.

Family matters are found in the SR Fourth house and there is nothing like family to stir up the emotions – which they will do in this house. One very important aspect of the Solar Return is to do with nurturing – you may need to look after others or may discover you need to nurture yourself rather more than you have been doing in the past.

The Solar Return Fourth House is where we look after things so it’s where we cook, clean and grow things (flowers, families, ourselves) and those matters may demand significant amounts of your time and energy if your Solar Return Chart points that way.”

Sara Shipman 2018

Put Saturn in this house and you can see how things could pan out for you during the course of the year. Saturn is about responsibility and last year I certainly felt responsible for looking after both of my elderly parents and spent a considerable amount of time doing so.

We forget sometimes how literal astrology can be, however, the cool (if not cold) planet of responsibility, time, old age, duty and restriction in the house of home, family and parents points to exactly the issues I have been dealing with for the past twelve months. It is not however a given that you will have a death in the family when Saturn takes up residence in the Fourth House. The issues here are ones of responsibility and reliability, maybe becoming a parent to your own parents and of course, dealing with perhaps difficult family matters in a practical and timely way.

Looking back on the year I was struck by how this Solar Return placement played out in so many ways. During the year I really wanted to move house. My house is great and in a desirable neighbourhood, but no. Nothing doing. Saturn the planet of frustration in the Fourth House of the home? That’s how it goes sometimes. You have to make do and come to terms with the fact that on this occasion, you’re really not going to get what you want.

But it’s not all bad, being forced to stay where I was meant I had few distractions from the emotionally difficult time I was going through. When I took my house off the market I felt as if a burden had been taken away from me. I was grateful for the familiarity of my own home; Saturn may feel restrictive but we are often grateful for the security he confers.

So as a New Year begins – and my own personal new Solar Return year began a couple of months ago – I feel Saturn has moved on from my FourthHouse (though he has been replaced by Neptune – water issues anyone? Oh, yes…) Saturn reminds us that life does move on. We cannot stop the passage of time any more than we can hold water in our hands.